Top 50 Third Base Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings For 2024
Image credit: (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
While third base is still more shallow compared to premium positions such as shortstop, outfield or pitcher, our updated third base rankings feature six players who rank in our Dynasty Top 50. Several others are destined to finish inside the overall Dynasty Top 100.
The third base corps features plenty of power hitters, as well as some of the top OBP-style infielders in the game. With the influx of young talent at the position (Gunnar Henderson, Junior Caminero, Royce Lewis, Noelvi Marte, etc.) third base now provides value deeper into drafts than it has in years.
This ranking was the work of the entire team at Baseball America but was curated by Dylan White and Geoff Pontes. Our goal is to balance a variety of scoring formats and provide the best overall list of players regardless of scoring.
2024 Fantasy HQ
Looking for all of our dynasty rankings and analysis? Here’s our home for fantasy content entering the 2024 season.
Top 50 Dynasty Third Basemen
*updated February 7th
1. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles (No. 14 overall)
Henderson hit 28 home runs and scored 100 runs en route to an AL Rookie of the Year award. Henderson has some improvements to make against lefthanded pitching, but heads into his age-22 season in 2024 with the ability to return top-two round fantasy value for the next decade.
2. Junior Caminero, Rays (No. 17 overall)
Caminero hit his way to the majors at 20 years old and is the top prospect in our rankings. He’ll still be 20 for most of 2024 and has the potential to be among the best combinations of elite power and batting average.
3. Austin Riley, Braves (No. 19 overall)
The Braves lineup in 2023 was among the most deadly in MLB history and Riley was among four Braves hitters that ranked within the top-15 position players for fantasy. Riley hit .281/.345/.516 with 37 home runs in his age-26 season and has provided that level of production in three consecutive seasons.
4. Jose Ramirez, Guardians (No. 20 overall)
Ramirez hit 24 home runs and stole 28 bases in his age-30 season, surpassing the 20 home run and 20 stolen base mark for the fifth time in his career. Ramirez’s numbers were down a little in 2023 from his previous two seasons, but he still returned top-25 positional value and should continue to do so in the coming seasons.
5. Rafael Devers, Red Sox (No. 25 overall)
One of the premier power hitters in the game, Devers reached the 30 home run plateau for the third time at age 26. Devers provides a high batting average and power floor with improving on-base skills. He’s the last of the top tier of third baseman still available.
6. Royce Lewis, Twins (No. 37 overall)
A string of injuries robbed Lewis of much of the last three seasons, but 2023 gave us a glimpse of what he can be when in the field. Lewis hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 home runs over 58 games. Lewis is 24 years old entering 2024 and is poised for a breakout with a full healthy season.
7. Manny Machado, Padres
Machado has averaged more than 600 plate appearances and 30 homers over the last three seasons, but his .258 average and 114 wRC+ in 2023 were his lowest marks since 2019. He underwent right elbow surgery after the season, which may explain the drop in production. Machado still offers offensive production 25% above league average — and should remain above-average for at least five more years — but he may not be a top-10 third baseman after 2024.
8. Noelvi Marte, Reds
Marte had a .280 batting average across the upper levels in 2023. His .316/.366/.456 debut in the majors over 123 plate appearances showed he could be a power/speed combo. Even with regression, the 22-year-old projects as a nearly 20-homer, 20-steal threat as soon as 2024, with his biggest obstacle being fighting for playing time in a crowded Reds infield.
9. Josh Jung, Rangers
After multiple injury-riddled seasons, Jung finally stayed healthy in 2023 and delivered the rookie campaign many had anticipated. Jung hit .266/.315/.467 with 23 home runs and a combined 145 RBIs and runs. Jung’s once-refined approach and above-average contact skills have given way to a power-first mentality. It’s worked as Jung boasts good underlying power data, including a 11.9% barrel rate, tying him with Julio Rodriguez and Paul Goldschmidt.
10. Alex Bregman, Astros
Bregman has produced nearly identical hitting lines over the last two seasons, averaging 24 homers, a .260 average, .360 OBP and around 200 runs and RBIs. With his elite pitch recognition, he rarely chases and nearly always has a competitive at bat — skills that typically prolong a hitter’s career. Bregman is a consistent contributor who is even better in OBP leagues and is only now entering his age-30 season.
11. Coby Mayo, Orioles
In his age-21 season, Coby Mayo had a slash line in Double-A of .307/.424/.603 with 17 home runs over 347 plate appearances. Paired with his 90th percentile exit velocity of 107 mph, better-than-league-average contact rate and chase rate, RoboScout had him as the No.1 prospect at the level. After his promotion to Triple-A Norfolk, the 6-foot-5 third baseman hit another 12 home runs and continued to show a keen eye and ability to drive the ball. After his fantastic 2023 in the upper levels, Mayo looks like he could hit .260 with a .340 OBP and 25 homers. He should be plugged into the middle of Baltimore’s formidable batting order for years to come, most likely starting in 2024.
12. Colt Keith, Tigers
Keith showed signs of elite hitting ability in the minors in 2022, but injuries limited his time on the field. Assigned to Double-A Erie out of spring training in 2023, Keith hit .325/.391/.585 across 59 games, earning a promotion to Triple-A. He then hit .289/.369/.521 over 67 games at the highest level of the minors to finish his season. Keith enters 2024 at 22 years old with exit velocity data above the major league average with above-average bat-to-ball skills and approach.
13. Ha-Seong Kim, Padres
Kim enjoyed his best year to date in his third season with the Padres, hitting 17 home runs with 38 stolen bases while seeing time at second base, shortstop and third base. He showed balanced plate skills, with increased on-base skills allowing him to get the most out of his skills at the plate. Kim doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard but he shows the ability to elevate enough to run into 13-18 home runs a season.
14. Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
For the naysayers, 2023 was the season where the wheels came off for Arenado after finishing inside the top 4-6 at the position in each of the last three full seasons, Arenado ranked 15th among third baseman in 2023 per the Razzball player rater. Arenado hit under 30 home runs for the first time since 2014, while also producing under 100 RBIs for the first time since 2014. With the counting stats drying up, Arenado presents a solid floor option, but his days of top 5-10 third base seasons might be over.
15. Isaac Paredes, Rays
Paredes faced playing time questions entering 2023 with the Rays, but he enjoyed one of the year’s biggest breakout campaigns. He hit 31 homers and drove in 98 runs, mostly on the strength of his pulled flyball rate, despite seeing a decline in average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate. Expect some regression in 2024, but considering he is only entering his age-25 season and his contact rates are world class, he should still be expected to be a 25-home run threat with multi-positional eligibility.
16. Max Muncy, Dodgers
In many ways, Muncy has been underrated for years by the consensus. After a down season in 2022 that saw Muncy finish outside the top 10 at the position for the first time since 2017, the slugger bounced back in 2023 with 36 home runs, 95 runs and 105 RBIs. Due to the nature of Muncy’s approach, he loses value in batting average 5×5 roto leagues. For those in OBP or points-based scoring formats, Muncy is a very productive option heading into his age-33 season.
17. Alec Bohm, Phillies
Bohm has been a consistent performer for his managers over the last few seasons. He produced the 12th-best season by a third baseman in 2022 and ranked 14th per the Razzball player rater in 2023. Bohm set new career highs in home runs (20) and RBIs (97), while striking out just 15.4% of the time in 2023. Bohm hits the ball on the ground more than you’d like, and his power hitting is capped by his more level swing, but he provides a solid floor of production for standard 5×5 roto scoring.
18. Jordan Westburg, Orioles
Westburg began his 2023 season with Triple-A Norfolk hitting .295/.372/.567 with 18 home runs over the first half of the season. He was promoted to the major leagues in late June and hit .260/.311/.404 over 68 games. While his underlying stats are pedestrian, Westburg shows a collection of skills that will make him relevant in fantasy in the coming years. His average plate skills complement above-average exit velocity data (90.2 mph average) and hard-hit rate (44.5%) while showing the ability to pull the ball in the air. But as a righthander, his home ballpark in Baltimore isn’t ideal.
19. Tyler Black, Brewers
Also eligible at second base, Black is three prospects ranked among the top 25 players on that list. Black has the best chance of contributing in the majors in 2024. He hit .284/.417/.513 with 18 home runs, 55 stolen bases and 105 runs across Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. With 39 games of experience at Triple-A, Black has an opportunity to play his way to the majors in the first half. He possesses pristine plate skills with an in-zone whiff rate (16.5%), chase rate (18.6%) and swing-chase rate (25.4%) that all rate well above-average. Black’s raw power is just average, but his ability to get the most of his hard contact allows him to project for 16-22 home runs per season at peak.
20. Jake Burger, Marlins
Burger broke out in 2023, making good on his promise as an amateur after a difficult stretch of injuries. Over 141 games split between the White Sox and the Marlins, Burger slugged 34 home runs, good enough for 14th in all of MLB. Burger lacks refined on-base skills and will run higher strikeout rates, but he’s a very strong option for a corner infield spot in 15 to 20-team dynasty leagues with standard 5×5 scoring.
21. Brett Baty, Mets
Baty debuted in 2022 at age 22 and spent the majority of 2023 with the big league club. He hit .212/.275/.323 over 108 games and very much under-delivered on expectations. Baty has similar struggles to Alec Bohm, as he hits the ball hard and with frequency but lacks the angles on contact to optimize his underlying raw power in games. Baty has areas he’ll need to improve heading into 2024, but in the minors he’s shown a solid combination of contact, approach and power.
22. Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates
As a prospect, Hayes was hyped for his Gold Glove caliber defense, on-base ability and running ability. While his defense has been as advertised, his base running and on-base skills have not been impactful. After two seasons of below-league average production, Hayes took a step forward in 2023, hitting .271/.309/.453 with 15 home runs. A significant jump in flyball rate year over year and improvements in underlying exit velocity data and steeper launch angles led to power growth for Hayes in 2023. Hayes is a player on the upswing heading into 2024.
23. Curtis Mead, Rays
Mead was viewed as one of the top hitting prospects for fantasy entering 2023. After dealing with a left wrist injury that cost Mead two months of the season he returned to Triple-A Durham on June 30 and hit .336/.439/.604 over 39 games with an equal number of strikeouts and walks. Mead debuted for the Rays on Aug. 4 but did very little over 43 plate appearances. Mead boasts excellent bat-to-ball skills and approach with strong underlying power data. Despite the underwhelming MLB debut, Mead should not be written off.
24. Ryan McMahon, Rockies
While McMahon isn’t likely to win his managers many fantasy titles, he’s an underrated and productive option who’s eligible for middle infield and corner infield spots due to his second base and third base eligibility. McMahon has hit 20 or more home runs in each of the last four full seasons while producing solid contributions in counting stats like runs and RBIs. While McMahon has never finished inside the top 10 of the third base position for a full season, he’s finished inside the top 20 in each of the last three seasons.
25. Matt Chapman, Free Agent
One of the top defensive third basemen in the game, Chapman enjoyed a loud first half in 2023, hitting .259/.344/.463, before suffering through a .205/.307/.357 line in the second half of the season. This is symbolic of Chapman’s career as he’s had an inability to provide consistency. Chapman finished 10th overall among third basemen in 2022 and slid back to 19th in 2023. He’s a consistent top-25 option but is also coming off the worst power season of his career at age 31.
26. Maikel Garcia, Royals
27. Bryan Ramos, White Sox
28. Brady House, Nationals
29. Justyn Henry-Malloy, Tigers
30. Eugenio Suarez, D-backs
31. Sterlin Thompson, Rockies
32. Tyler Locklear, Mariners
33. Graham Pauley, Padres
34. Zach Dezenzo, Astros
35. Aidan Miller, Phillies
36. Ezequiel Duran, Rangers
37. Elehuris Montero, Rockies
38. Brayden Taylor, Rays
39. Brock Wilken, Brewers
40. J.D. Davis, Giants
41. Yoan Moncada, White Sox
42. Deyvison De Los Santos, Guardians
43. Nick Loftin, Royals
44. Ivan Melendez, D-Backs
45. Chase Meidroth, Red Sox
46. Austin Gauthier, Dodgers
47. Mac Horvath, Orioles
48. Blaze Jordan, Red Sox
49. Austin Shenton, Rays
50. Echedry Vargas, Rangers